Schwartz was the fifth head coach fired by roughly noon time on Monday, with no real surprises among the group. The Lions reached the playoffs in 2011 and looked poised to turn the corner with a core of talented young players. Instead, they posted a 4-12 record in 2012 and collapsed down the stretch this season.

Earlier this month, a report indicated that Schwartz was likely to be fired if Detroit failed to reach the playoffs. The lions lost six of their last seven games during a stretch in which both the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears were playing without their starting quarterbacks. The NFC North was surprisingly mediocre all season long, but Detroit was unable to win when it mattered most. The low point of the season came when Schwartz appeared to swear at Lions fans during a brutal Week 16 loss to the New York Giants.

Jim Schwartz addressed the Lions at the noon meeting. Nate Burleson said Schwartz got "a little choked up", and that it was emotional.

While Detroit is a difficult place to coach, the Lions head coaching job should have appeal for some of the league’s top candidates. Detroit has an impressive core of offensive talent led by Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush and Matthew Stafford. The right offensive mind should be able to light up the scoreboard with what the Lions have.